Kael and his two companions subdued the attacking Snow Bear Beasts, capturing them all. Kael grabbed the ear of the first Snow Bear Beast that had appeared, lifting it like a rabbit.
"Ah! Don't kill me! Don't kill me! My brothers were just playing a prank!" The Snow Bear Beast struggled desperately, twisting its body while pleading with teary eyes.
Kael wasn't fooled by this act - these creatures had clearly intended to capture them. The intelligent beast blinked its large eyes dramatically, tears streaming down as it wailed: "You wanted the map, right? I'll give it to you! Just spare me! I'm their leader - kill me and they'll never talk!"
Kael observed the drooping-eared creature in his grip. Though surprised this larger specimen was the pack leader, he maintained his stern demeanor. "Good. Start talking truthfully," he growled, casting a magic soundproofing barrier around them. "I'll cross-check with your underlings. Any discrepancies..." He left the threat hanging.
The tactic worked. The Snow Bear Beast's cries intensified: "Do you know how hard it is feeding this pack? First you humans drove us from our territory, now this..."
"What territory expulsion?" Kael frowned in confusion.
"You...aren't with that despicable human?" The beast paused mid-sob, eyes widening.
"What human?" Kael's gaze sharpened, sensing a crucial revelation.
"You're really not with that monster?" The creature's voice trembled with renewed hope.
"We just arrived here. Explain. Now!" Ethan's blade flared with combat aura, intensifying the threat.
Trembling under Ethan's glare, the Snow Bear Beast whimpered: "Our clan once numbered over a thousand! That cursed human slaughtered us... Now only a dozen brothers remain..."
"That bastard Leif! That damned fiend! They stole our territory, drove us out of the eastern castle, slaughtered hundreds of my kin, and even dissected their corpses!" the Snow Bear Beast roared in fury.
Leif!
The Darkwing Mage, Leif!
The moment they set foot in the ancient ruins, Kael and his companions had stumbled upon news of Leif.
"Leif? Wait—you said they? So he's not alone?" Kael caught the crucial detail instantly.
"No, there are three of them! All terrifyingly strong—stronger than you lot! They massacred hundreds of my brethren, dissected their bodies! And not just us—other beasts in the area suffered the same fate!" the Snow Bear Beast spat out rapidly.
"Damn it, the intel from the Sacred Council and the Holy Temple was flawed. There's not just Leif—at least three enemies!" Ethan scowled.
Leif's power neared the eighth-tier, and with his mastery of pseudo-domain techniques, he could rival even an ordinary eighth-tier Arcane Mage. Now, with two additional unknown adversaries, the situation had grown far more complicated.
"Dissecting corpses…" Unlike Ethan, Kael found this detail unsettling. Why would Leif and his group dissect the bodies of magical beasts like these?
"So, you know where Leif and his group are now?" Kael pressed, his voice cold.
"No!" Unexpectedly, the Snow Bear Beast shook its head. "Those three are elusive. At first, they occupied our castle, then vanished without a trace. Damn Leif—who knows what they're plotting!"
...
Kael, Ethan, and Amelia exchanged glances. They still had no concrete lead on Leif's whereabouts—but they now had a clue.
The eastern castle. The former territory of the Snow Bear Beasts. Perhaps they could find traces there.
"By the way, earlier you mentioned an Underground Palace," Kael's gaze sharpened as he smirked at the beast. "From the way you spoke, it sounds like there's treasure inside?"
An Underground Palace—as the name suggested, a subterranean palace buried beneath the earth. This was an ancient ruin. If they could uncover relics within…
Even a single artifact from this place could trigger a frenzy in the outside world!
The Snow Bear Beast shrank back, its large eyes dull with resignation. "Y-yes... I can draw you a map!"
Kael and his companions exchanged amused glances. Gripping the beast's scruff, Kael chuckled, "Why bother with drawings? You are the map."
"W-what do you mean?" The creature blinked in confusion.
"You're our prisoner now. Lead the way—cooperatively," Kael stated coldly.
"I knew it! Humans are all the same! After everything I've suffered—" The Snow Bear Beast burst into theatrical sobs, fat tears rolling down its furry cheeks.
Dispelling the soundproofing barrier, Kael interrogated the other beasts, confirming identical accounts.
"Your underlings get to live... for now," Kael said, his gaze sharpening like drawn steel. The Snow Bear Beast trembled violently. "N-no tricks! I swear!"
Success.
Amelia met Kael's eyes with a knowing smile. Carrot and stick—child's play against such simple creatures.
Though the Darkwing Mage Leif's schemes remained unclear, their new captive offered invaluable advantages. As native inhabitants, the Snow Bear Beasts' knowledge would prevent the trio from wandering blindly through the ruins.
As they marched forward, Kael pressed for more details, gradually piecing together the ancient site's layout:
The ruins were divided east and west by a central river. The eastern sector, richer in resources and prey, hosted most magical beasts—until Leif's massacre forced survivors like the Snow Bear Beasts to flee westward.
"In the east... there are many clans like ours," the beast whispered, suddenly solemn. "Some are weak... but others? Terrifying. Even we avoid their territories!" It hesitated, then added with genuine concern: "Mighty one... you're strong, but... don't provoke them."
Kael waved dismissively. He wasn't foolish enough to provoke the ancient ruins' beasts recklessly. Among magical creatures, the Snow Bear Beasts ranked merely mid-tier—countless far deadlier predators lurked here. He understood the dangers all too well.
Their destination, the Underground Palace, lay in the ruins' central region. Guided by their captive, the trio finally traversed the western sector until a rushing river barred their path.
Swoosh—
The roar of turbulent waters greeted them. The river stretched over ten meters wide, its currents fierce yet unnervingly clear—so transparent that every pebble and patch of silt on the riverbed was visible.
This was the dividing line between the eastern and western halves of the ancient ruins.
According to the Snow Bear Beast, crossing it would bring them dangerously close to the Underground Palace!
At the sight of water, Kael, Amelia, and Ethan perked up instantly. After a day's trek, fatigue weighed on them, their throats parched. Eyes gleaming, they quickened their pace toward the bank, eager to drink—
Then Kael's gaze froze.
Half-hidden among the riverside vegetation was an unassuming, grass-like plant. Yet his pupils dilated with recognition.
"Heartbond Grass!"
Even his usually unshakable composure wavered. This was a priceless Grandmaster-tier herb—and for Kael at this very moment, its value was beyond measure.